Plane Finder and Ship Finder FAQs

 

Sharing

How can I share my own ADS-B data?

How can I share my own AIS data?

How do I set up my own base station?


Plane Finder

How Does it work?

What if my area isn’t covered?

If I have Plane Plotter software can I use Plane Finder to link to it?

Why do the lines in front of the aircraft mean?

Why are some planes not shown but I can see them in the sky?

Why are planes plotted at 0,0 off of the coats of West Africa?

Can I use Plane Finder for navigational purposes?

What is the difference between Plane Finder AR and Plane Finder? 


Ship Finder

How does it work?

Why is the feed not working?

How do I search for a ship?

Do I need to physically be in a chosen location to see the ship data?

Can I use Ship Finder for navigational purposes?

What do the different colour ships icons mean?


Airline Finder

Will you keep the Application up to date?

Where did you get the artwork from?


General

I've noticed that Apple ios4 can slow down after a while - Can you help?

How do I kill off a multi-task app running in the background?

How do I zoom in and out on my Apple device?


Sharing


How can I share my own ADS-B data?

Plane Finder relies on data from amateur base stations around the world.

We have invested in server equipment that makes sharing with us easy.

If you have a base station of any type and want to see your data on Plane Finder please see the simple instructions below and let us know that you've set it up. Alternatively contact us and we'll respond straight away.

Please note that we do not use data shared via the internet sharing facility built into Plane Plotter software as this is against the terms of the license agreement and also would not be fair on those sharing the data just for use within the Plane Plotter community.

Instructions

If you don't already use it download the latest version of COAA's Plane Plotter software from here

(Please note that we have been working with COAA and the latest version simplifies the sharing process).

We suggest you use the free trial first to make sure you are happy with the results.

It's very simple but if you do get stuck there is an excellent FAQ site here or alternatively please contact us.

Once it's set up go to Options-->Sharing-->Setup and fill in as per the image below.

Then just let us know you've done it.


How can I share my own AIS data?

Ship Finder relies on data from amateur and professional base stations around the world.

We have invested in server equipment that makes sharing with us easy.

If you have a base station and want to see your data on Ship Finder please contact us as we'll send you simple instructions on how to do this.

Please note that we do not use data shared via the internet sharing facility built into Ship Plotter software as this is against the terms of the license agreement and also would not be fair on those sharing the data just for use within the Ship Plotter community.

Instructions

Our preferred method is to connect using COAA's Ship Plotter software. If you don't use it you can get it here

We suggest you use the free trial first to make sure you are happy with the results.

Once it's set up go to goto Options-->Sharing-->Setup and fill in as per the image below.

Then just let us know you've done it so that we can set up the new feed within Ship Finder.

We can also receive your AIS data direct by sending it to us over TCP/IP. AIS data needs to be sent to ais.shipfinder.co.uk 4001 (UDP). If you need some software to help please take a look here.

It's not essential but we'd appreciate it if you tell us too so that we know whose data we are using.

If you have any questions, need more info, or need help on any of the above then please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll do our best to help.


How do I set up my own base station?

It's relatively strightforward.

You will need a PC and internet connection - Ideally on 24/7 although this is not essential.

The internet usage is relatively light but to be on the safe side we recommend an uncapped service.

An ADS-B reciever is required plus an antenna - the receivers connect via USB or Ethernet.

The antenna position is the most importnat factor. The golden rule is the higher the better.

Both AIS and ADS-B are basically line of site technolgies so a good location is essential.

Typically you can expect around 150nm for ADS-B and nearer 30nm with AIS.

We have seen a much greater range for good locations using the right equipment.

Software is required on the PC for access tp porivate sharing networks such as those provided by COAA.

It is very simple to connect the systems to our servers and we do not need to change any firewalls or security settings.

Drop us a line and we can provide more information, advice and recommendations.


Plane Finder


How does it work?

Plane Finder works by picking up ADS-B plane feeds used by all commercial planes to transmit their name, position, destination and lots more.

ADS-B is gradually replacing radar as the most efficient method for air traffic control.

Ultimately ADS-B will enable aircraft to fly closer together meaning more efficient use of airspace especially around airports and will enable advanced transfer of information both to and from the cockpit.

More and more aircraft will be equipped with ADS-B transponders over the coming years.

Our servers collate data from multiple sources for delivery to Plane Finder, Plane Finder HD and planefinder.net

It’s fascinating and great fun to see what’s going on!

If you are a virtual radar hobbyist we’ll also be happy to receive data for use within the app.


What if my area isn’t covered?

We are always on the lookout for more data feeds. Check back regularly to see if we have added your area.


If I have Plane Plotter software can I use Plane Finder to link to it?

This is possible. Please contact support@pinkfroot.com and we can assist.


Why do the lines in front of the aircraft mean?

These show the approximate flight path.


Why are some planes not shown but I can see them in the sky?

Where we have data our systems track each flight 24 7. However not all aircraft especially in North America are currently equipped with ADS-B transponders. This will change due to the the US NextGen initiative.


Why are planes plotted at 0,0 off of the coats of West Africa?

The systems pick up both ads-b and mode-s equipped aircraft.

Unlike ads-b Mode-s does not transmit position data as it is designed to supplement current radar based systems.

This means that we cannot plot the mode-s planes and they are reported at lat/lon 0,0 in the location of Africa!!


Can I use Plane Finder for navigational purposes?

Definitely not. Plane Finder must not be used for navigational purposes under any circumstances

Disclaimer: The use of the information presented using Plane Finder is strictly limited to your pursuing enthusiast activities (i.e. for entertainment purposes), which specifically exclude any activities that might endanger yourself or the lives of others.
Under no circumstances will the developer of this application be held responsible for incidents resulting from the use of the data or its interpretation or its use contrary to this agreement.


What is the difference between Plane Finder AR and Plane Finder?

Plane Finder AR is our augmented reality app that shares the data available in Plane Finder- our original iPhone App.

Plane Finder (and Plane Finder HD) provide a near real time virtual radar view of flight from across the world and include a great deal more detail that Plane Finder AR. All Plane Finder apps share common ADS-B data. 


Ship Finder


How does it work?

Ship Finder works by picking up AIS feeds used by all vessels to transmit their name, position, destination and lots more.

We share data from our own receivers with a global network of AIS data picked up by both professional and amateur base stations.

Many people also share their data with us and often others too.

Our servers collate and process this data for use in the applications.

You can get Ship Finder for you iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android or Windows Mobile device.

If you are an AIS base station owner we'll also be happy to recieve data for use within the app.


Why is the feed not working?

Sometimes feeds are turned off or not available. pinkfroot have no control over the internet feeds used by the application. We are always on the lookouts for new feeds and where possible will use more than one for each location.


How do I search for a ship?

Click Search and you will see a list of vessels in the current view. Type in first few letters or name and click Search Server for a global search of the current data feeds.


Do I need to physically be in a chosen location to see the ship data?

No, you can view the ship data regardless of your physical location. If you repeatedly go to the same place it's a good idea to set up a list of bookmarks and choose one to be your home page


Can I use Ship Finder for navigational purposes?

Definitely not. Like all AIS internet feeds Ship Finder must not be used for navigational purposes


What do the different colour ships icons mean?

We have used the following convention:

  • Blue = Passenger
  • Yellow = Cargo
  • Black = Tanker
  • Cyan = High Speed Craft
  • Orange = Pleasure Craft
  • Green = Dredger
  • White = Unspecified/Reserved (Can also mean we are not receiving enough data)
  • Purple = Pilot
  • Red = Military Operation
  • Dinghy = SAR Craft
  • Helicopter = SAR Aircraft

Stationary vessels can be shown as either standard icons or balloon shapes.


Airline Finder


Will you keep the Application up to date?

Yes - Like all of our work we are committed to continual improvement.

Any new or changes Airlines will be redrawn and/or created for inclusion in a regular update.

Please let us know if you are aware of any missing airlines or identification that is our of date.

Where airlines are no longer in operation we will keep the data in the application but flag it as defunct.

Again please let us know if you see anything that needs changing in the app.


Where did you get the artwork from?

The Artwork was created by Graham Charles Edwards using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Graham will create new artwork as required to support the ongoing development of Airline Finder


General


I've noticed that Apple ios4 can slow down after a while - Can you help?

We have also noticed that apps can be slower or less reliable for some devices running with ios4.
We have also been talking to other developers who report similar problems with crashing and sometimes slowdowns.

Our current investigations lead us to believe that it is the memory management of ios4 multitasking that is causing this.
Our application is very memory intensive and will be affected by underlying issues such as this.

The fix is to restart the device fairly regularly or to kill off the running apps.


How do I kill off a multi-task app running in the background?

To kill Plane Finder, Ship Finder or any other app do this... Double-tap the home button to pull up the running apps list. Then tap and hold on an app (like you do when you want to delete an app from the home screen) you will see a red minus sign (-) on the corner of the app's icon. Tap it to kill the app.


How do I zoom in and out on my Apple device?

What you need to do is use two fingers on the screen? Pinch (or scissors!) to zoom in and spread them out to zoom back.

Alternatively you can tap with one finger to zoom in and two fingers
to zoom out.